Austin Siadlak: An Inspiring Filmmaker

When Austin Siadak, A10, graduated from Tufts, he decided to pursue a different path than most of his peers. A post-college desk job left him hankering for more, so Siadlak promptly changed paths and found his home among the mountains and valleys of the western United States. A hiking and climbing enthusiast, Siadlak fuses his passion for the outdoors with his interest in videography by working for Seattle media company Duct Tape Then Beer, where he has created an impressive portfolio of short narrative films.

Siadlak’s latest film tells the inspiring story of Chris DeMartino, Jarem Frye, and Pete Davis, three disabled climbers who defied all odds by successfully summiting the steep, treacherous, and notoriously difficult El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park. Siadlak beautifully captures the impressive vistas of Yosemite–coupled with the raw anxieties of the three hikers–to give viewers a film that’s wrought with emotion, as well as uplifting hope for the future of disabled climbers.